Boot hanger



Dec. '17, 1946. I N. VAN TILBUR 2,412,847

BOOT HANGER- Filed Aug. 31, 1945 Patented Dec. 17, 1946 UNITED s A Es PATENT OFFICE 1 Boo'rHAnGER Noel Van Tilburg, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application August 31, 1945, Serial No. 613,881

My invention provides an extremely simple;

H clude what is sometimes called Fshoes, but is particularly designed as a convenient andeifiwcient device for hanging boots, such as hunters and lumbermans boots and rubberbootsin position for drying and if exceedingly wet, for'draining. The improved ,device, as preferably designed, is of wire construction throughout and comprises normally vertical and horizontal sections which may be folded into a fiat position against a wall or the like when not in use, or for shipment and storage.

The invention in its preferred form is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my novel device, the dotted line position indicating the folded position thereof; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view.

The device consists of a normally vertical frame section I which is, preferably and as shown, rectangular in shape and made up of laterally spaced substantially parallel upper and lower legs or members 2 and 3, respectively, end members 4 and 5, and an intermediate member 6, having its extremities connected to end members 4 and 5 and being substantially parallel to the upper and lower legs or members 2 and 3. The primary function of the lower leg member 3 is to add stability and rigidity to the normally vertical frame member I and in practice this leg 3 could be omitted, thereby leaving only the rectangular frame consisting of the upper and lower substantially parallel legs 2 and 6 and side legs or members 4 and 5.

Frame member I is adapted to be secured to a wall, or the like A, and for this purpose I preferably provide a reinforcing strut l which connects the upper and lower legs or members 2 and 3 substantially at their medial portions and has its upper and lower ends bent to form outwardly projecting U-shaped anchoring eyes 8 and 9, through which head screws 9a or the like are adapted to pass.

Cooperating with frame section l is a normally horizontal frame section I ll preferably formed of a single piece of wire and comprising laterally spaced guide arms II and I2, having a pair of laterally spaced boot receiving apertures in the form of forks l3 and I4 therebetween. The inner ends of guid arms H and [2 are bent to 1 clai (01. air-35) form loops at I5 and I6 which loosely encompass the intermediate leg 6 of normallyvertical frame i, Wh8I'ebyt0 provide pivots. A pair of laterally spaced diagonal supporting arms I! and I8 have their upper ends loosely looped over upper leg member 2 of normally vertical frame section -I at [9 and 20, respectively, to permit pivotal movements thereof on a horizontal axis. The lower ends of supporting arms I'l'and 8 are loosely looped at 2| and 22, respectively, around the guide arms H and I2 and are slidable thereon.

It will be observed that fork I3 is made up of laterally spaced tines 23 and 24. Likewise, fork I4 is made up of laterally spaced tines 25 and 26.

A reinforcing strut 21 is rigidly connected to guide arm H and tine 23 of fork I3. Likewise, a reinforcing strut 28 is rigidly connected to guide arm 12 and tin 26 of fork l4. Reinforcing struts 2! and 28 are so spaced on guide arms H and 12, respectively, so as to provide stops for the sliding looped ends 2| and 22 of supporting arms I! and I8, thus preventing frame section l0 from dropping further after it has reached an approximately horizontal position.

For the purpose of providing greater stability and reinforcement to the outwardly extended inner tines 24 and 25 of forks l3 and I4, I provide a normally horizontal reinforcing arm 29 having its inner end pivoted at 30 to the approximate center of intermediate leg 6 of normally vertical frame section I in alignment with the pivotal connections of guide arms II and I2 therewith, and having its outer end extending outwardly between said tines 24 and 25. Laterally spaced cross members 3| and 32 have their ends rigidly connected to tines 24 and 25 and have their centers rigidly connected. to reinforcing arm 29.

From the above it will be obvious that when my novel boot hanger is connected to a wall or other supporting structure, as illustrated in Fig. l, the normally horizontal frame section II] will, under the action of gravity, fall to the position indicated by full lines, where its downward motion will be checked by the looped lower ends 2! and 22 of supporting arms I! and I8 abutting against the transverse reinforcing struts 21 and 28. However, if it is desired to collapse the structure or fold the same against the wall, it is only necessary to push upward on the outer end of the normally horizontal frame section It), so that the looped ends I5 and iii of guide arms H and I2 pivot on intermediate leg 6 of frame section I. Simultaneously, the looped ends 2| and 22 of supporting arms I! and 18 will slide outwardly and upwardly on guide arms H and I2 until the structure reaches the position as' indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The structure may be so arranged that when in this position there is adequate frictional engagement between the guide arms II and I2 and the looped ends 2| and 22 of supporting arms I! and I8 to retain it in its. folded. position.

.If desired,:an:elongated metal plate or th like, such as indicated at B, and which may be used for advertising or the like, maybe secured to the spaced side legs 4 and 5 of the normally vertical frame section, at but slight additionalscost and without in any manner interfering with the action of the boot hanger.

In practice, it is desirablezto,insertsaxbOOtsOr the like, such as indicated at C, heel first. intothe U-shaped boot receiving forks I3 and H5. The spread of each of saidforks is such as it will en- -gage the inverted boots with considerable friction -iust belowth soles and thereby hold the f boots'firmly in'thebest'kind of positionrfor drying and maintaining good form.

While I have 'describeda commercial form of without 'departingfrom'the spirit of h invention, as Jdefined in the :appended :claim.

What I claim is:

In a device of the class described, a normally vertical frame section having, spaced upper, intermediate, and lower membersfand spaced-end legs, and adapted to be secured to a wall, a

normally horizontal frame section horizontally pivoted to the intermediate member of said normally vertical frame section, said normally 1 horizontal I. frame section ecomprising laterally spaced guide arms projecting outwaridly from the ivot axis and being provided between said guide V arms with a pair of outwardly opening boot receiving forks, a pair of diagonal supporting arms,

"253,611 pivoted at one end to the upper member o;t1sa id-norma11y vertical frame section and at its other end loosely embracing and being slidable on itheaguid-e:arm-smfLthe normally horizontal frame whereby to permit the normally vertical and normally horizontal sections to be collapsed in side-by-side relationship, stop means on said "guide arms preventing downward movement of *sai'dmormally horizontal frame 'secti'on' beyond a -'substantiallyihorizontal'position,and' a' reen'forc- 25 lingiarmpivotedat itsrear 'endgtoe the medial pormyjinvention'itishould be'obvious'that the-same i .is subject to slight changes and modifications tion of the intermediate member of: the normally vertical. frame section and'rigidly connected. at its front end 'to the outwardly; projecting end per- "tions ;of,said boot'receiving forks.

"NOELVAN TILBURJG. 

